WASHINGTON, DC, JANUARY 17, 2025 - The International Salute to the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will celebrate its 33rd year on Sunday, January 19, 2025 and will present awards to a distinguished group of global recipients. The event which will be held at The Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C., is hosted annually by the Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural & Minority Medicine (lAMMM) in tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The awards are part of the commemorative celebrations in honor of the late Dr. King's birthday. Dame Karen Pierce, DCMG, British Ambassador to the U.S., will serve as the Honorary Chair.

The MLK, Jr. International Salute Committee headed by the Founder and CEO Madeline Y. Lawson, recognizes the distinguished leadership and contributions of exceptional individuals who have positively impacted the global community. Award winners will be presented with either the Dr. Dorothy I. Height Leadership Award, in honor of the late civil rights and women's rights activist, or the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award in honor of the leader of the African American civil rights movement.

The 2025 International Salute Awards will be presented to:

• H.E. Dame Karen Pierce, British Ambassador, for the King Legacy Award for Global Diplomacy and Service
• Mrs. Shahin D. Mafi, Founder and Trustee of The Azar Foundation for Children of the World for The Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award for Global Philanthropy and Service to her longstanding commitment and contribution to supporting the welfare of women and children around the world
• The Honorable Joanna McClinton, Speaker of the PA House of Representatives for Government and Public Service
• The Honorable Marie Royce for Leadership in Global Education
• Dr. Maurice Edington, President of the University of the District of Columbia for Leadership in Education
• Rosie Allen-Herring, President and CEO of United Way NCA for the Dorothy I. Height Leadership Award

The 2025 award winners join a distinguished group of previous recipients including: Hon. John Conyers, Jr. U.S. Representative Michigan; General Colin Powell, the former U.S. Secretary of State; Kofi Annan, former Secretary General, United Nations; John Lewis, U.S. Congressman; Bob Dole, U.S. Senator and a host of ambassadors from the U.S., France, Africa, United Kingdom and Germany.

Jan Du Plain, President/CEO, Du Plain Global Enterprises, Inc. will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies.

About The MLK, Jr. International Salute Committee

The MLK, Jr. International Salute Committee was organized 33 years ago to plan an annual International Day of Recognition for a man who sacrificed his life for justice and equality, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. That day of celebration was to be the Sunday before the King Holiday each year. The Founding Members of the Committee were:

• Dr. Dorothy I. Height, Chairman and President Emerita of the National Council of Negro Women

• Henry H. Brown, Senior Vice President of Anheuser-Busch Company

• Freddie L. Brown, Regional Marketing Executive for Anheuser-Busch Company

• Madeline Y. Lawson, President/CEO of Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural &Minority Medicine (IAMMM).

The Committee's original purpose and mandate remain today to:

• Advance the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a man for all nations and one loved and honored around the world.

• Celebrate a man who received the Nobel Peace Prize because of his stance on nonviolence.

• Honor his legacy because he endured much, knocked down walls of injustice, bigotry and oppression and went to jail because he stood up for what he believed.

• Recognize individuals whose service emulates the King Legacy.

2025 Honorary committee includes Honorary Chair, Dame Karen Pierce, DCMG, British Ambassador to the U.S., Founder & Chair Emeritus Henry H Brown, Anheuser-Busch Co. (ret), Founder & Chair Emerita, Dr. Dorothy I Height*, National Council of Negro Women, and Chair Emeritus W. Frank Fountain, Chrysler, LLC (*ret) (Daimler Chrysler.) Other members of the 2025 host committee include, Ben Vinson III PhD, President, Howard University, Maurice Edington, PhD, President of University of District of Columbia, Ellen M. Granberg, PhD, President, The George Washington University, Peter Kilpatrick, PhD, President, Catholic University of America, Gregory Fowler, PhD, President, University of MD Global Campus, Andrew Flagel, PhD, President & CEO of Consortium of Universities of DMC, Jean Bailey, PhD, Howard University, Frank Islam and Debbie Driesman, Frank Islam and Debbie Driesman Foundation, Shahin D Mafi, Founder & Trustee, Azar Foundation for Children of the World, Rafat & Shaista Mahmood, Former Pakistani Ambassador & Philanthropist, Shavon Arline-Bradley, PhD, President & CEO, National Council of Negro Women, Inc., Jan Du Plain, President & CEO, DuPlain Global Enterprises, Inc, Vivian W. Pinn, MD, Senior Scientist Emerita, NIH, and Harry E. Johnson, Esq, The Memorial Project Foundation

*deceased)

Media Contact:

Madeline Y. Lawson

Chief Executive Officer

202) 256-0070

mlawson@iammm.org